The summer months are all about enjoying your surroundings in the company of more than just a few good friends. Picnics are a universally fun and popular way to soak up some sun and divulge in good food, drink, and socializing. In fact, theyre so popular that July has been designated as National Picnic Month, according to Days of the Year. Picnics are epic because theyre universal — every culture has some form of this outdoor gathering, but no two are the same. The Smithsonian says that in the UK, they enjoy an assortment of foods like scotch eggs and potato salads. Having barbecues at the beach is the standard picnicking norm in areas where the climate is a bit hot or humid (like Hong Kong and India). Sitting under cherry blossom trees and enjoying watermelon and bento boxes is the Japanese picnic of choice (via Guru Navi).
In the United States, any open space can pretty much be utilized as a picnicking place, and when it comes to the most famous communal food gathering, no one does it better than the Gulf and Atlantic coastal seafood boil. These gatherings typically play out during the spring and summer months, when the weather is humid and unrelenting. Seafood boils have been going on since before the United States became the United States. So what exactly is it? Go get your grill prepped and your iced tea brewing, then read on to discover the untold truth of the seafood boil.
One of the oft-overlooked proteins in seafood boils is eggs. These are great as they help soak up the flavors and thus add more flavor to the meal. You can boil the eggs at any point during the cooking process. Adding them towards the end helps, ensure they get all of the right flavors from other ingredients.
Don’t be afraid of this heady delicacy
As previously mentioned, if youre attending a gulf coast or southern seafood boil, dont expect to see anything that resembles a fork or knife. When those freshly boiled crawdads are poured onto the tablecloth in front of you, the only expectation — besides enjoying yourself thoroughly — is to simply dig in.
If youve never attended a boil, just note that there will be a lot of cracking, snapping, and slurping … and thats all part of the experience. While your fingers are most likely no match when it comes to breaking through a crawdad shell, the secret is to twist the tail, and it should separate clean from the crustaceans noggin. The next part — and theres really no “proper” way to say this — is to suck the head. As horrifying as this might sound (to those who arent well-versed in mudbug consumption), this is one of the best parts of the animal and shouldnt be discarded (via Crawfish Cafe). This tiny morsel of “crawdad butter” is packed full of concentrated flavor and is actually considered to be a delicacy.
But contrary to what you might think, youre not sucking down on crawdaddy brain matter. Oh, no. These little water bugs dont have a brain. What youre actually slurping down is an organ thats more similar to the human liver. If that still makes you feel uneasy, just think of it like crawdad pâté.
France has their own version of a boil
This Southwestern maritime meal was created by local mussel fishermen, who discovered that pine needles make a great — albeit dramatic — way to cook bivalves (via Atlas Obscura). Known as éclade de moules (burst of mussels), the dish is so simple that its frequently made during French camping trips.
The most simple method of preparation is placing live mussels either underneath or inside a bushel of dried pine needles, making sure that the hinge side faces up. This prevents any ash from falling inside the mussels once they pop open. Even more pine needles are added on top of the mound, and then the entire thing is lit on fire. The heat is so intense that it steams the mollusks in their own juices, and when they open, more of the piney essence is infused into the meat itself. Theyre typically served with white wine and a side of bread to soak up the shellfish broth. This down-to-earth (literally) method of cooking is a perfect example of working with what youve got (or what nature has readily available to you).
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FAQ
Why do you put eggs in seafood boil?
Why add eggs to boiling water?
Why should eggs not be cooked at a full boil?
Why do people add orange juice to seafood boils?
How to determine if boiled eggs are safe to eat?
Before actually cooking. Eggs that are fresh should sink horizontally into the water; those that are still good, but not so fresh, can be slanted at the bottom of the glass; spoiled and rotten eggs should float in the water.
Do you boil eggs in a seafood boil?
Like all the other additions to a seafood boil which includes the lobster, crab legs, clams, mussels, shrimp, potatoes, corn, or cucumbers, the eggs are another component of a seafood boil used to dip into the seafood or butter sauce to make a boil more interesting. Do you boil the eggs first for a seafood boil?
How to make a seafood boil?
It is advisable to place a whole onion and a head of garlic in the water, so that it takes on more flavor. You can season it to your liking. Then in that broth, the shellfish, potatoes and corn are boiled. And in minutes you will be enjoying an exquisite seafood boil. Dipping sauces are an integral part of this traditional dish.